Blood Feud
by D.D. Heal
Summary: The Forever Knights are in disarray, the European branch sends one of their own to get the order back on track. With his partner sidelined, Ben's resolve is tested when one of his friend's past comes back to haunt him.
1. Chapter 1

One

Red Rain

The office in Plumber H.Q stood silent as Max watches Gwen and Kevin's departure from Bellwood on the monitor. Gen. Eli Jamieson Moss enters the office to notice the sadness on Max's face.

"Who would've thought that would take some threats from the Dark Gods and Diagon to reactivate the Plumber cell on Earth." Max doesn't notice him. "You knew this day would come, didn't you?" Eli asked.

Max turns around and looks at him. "Sorry, I didn't notice you there, Eli or should I call you General now," Max said.

"It's still Eli to you, Max. To see Gwen and Kevin leave town must've been hard. Knowing you, you already making preparations to find a new partner for Ben," he said.

"I am, I'm already considering a few candidates, plus some suggestions from the top brass," Max said.

Eli places a file on his desk. "Even though I'm not a Plumber, I still get to have my say in these matters, regardless. Here's a candidate worth having a look and those two will get along," he said.

Max quickly reads the file and puts it down. "No, I will not place my grandson's fate in the hands of a murderer," Max said.

"Come on, Max. He's a Plumber, Special Projects agent and a Guardian. What more do you want?" he asked.

"Gwen told me about his past and how he'd massacred a whole Forever Knight cell. I can't understand why you place your faith in him," Max said.

"You heard the philosophy about sometimes in order to do good deeds; you need to commit a few evil acts. Besides, the Forever Knights had it coming for a while and there's already radio chatter saying the group is in disarray. In the end, it's your decision." Eli walks near the door. "Before I go, ask yourself this, what kind of person do you want Ben's partner to be. One that is willing to stab him in the back before the fight begins or one that can show commitment and has some emotion and humanity. Think about it," he asked.

He left the office, leaving Max to his thoughts. Months passed and it was raining in Bellwood, Carter Tavistock stands on a rooftop, taking a phone call. "I appreciate you for keeping an eye on Bellwood," I said.

"Hey, since we're Guardians and Plumbers. We got to look out for each other. Besides, it's good to get out of headquarters. If you see Gwen, Kevin or any of the others, tell them that Carter says hello" Carter said.

"Will do. See you in a dozen hours," I said.

I hung up on him; he sees a store robbery in progress. "Well, well, what have we got here. It's time for me to introduce myself," he said to himself.

He jumps into action and stops the robbery. Meanwhile in a Forever Knights castle, three surviving members of the Forever Knights sat around a table. "Did anyone follow you here?" one of the knights asked.

"No, it's been quiet for the last few months," the second knight answered.

"It's over, the Forever Knights are finished. Our losses following the Diagon affair has made recruiting more difficult. Not to mention the organisation has been placed on the Special Projects watch list since the purge," the third knight said.

"I don't like this as much as you lot are. We need to find an alternative to solve our problems. So we can reclaim our rightful place," the first knight said.

"And how are you planning to do that exactly?" A woman then enters the room. "It's not like you're planning to do that from here," she said.

"Fiona Le Violet, where were you when we needed you?" the second knight asked.

Fiona throws a card like a knife at the chair he's sitting on. "First, I was out of town. Having Special Projects, let alone the Plumbers on your tail wasn't bad enough. Second, I was taking on another job. However, my current employer wishes to speak with you," she said.

A Forever Knight enters the room and they immediately recognise her. "Elizabeth, this is a surprise," the third knight said.

"That's Forever Queen Elizabeth, Roderick or have you forgotten your manners. The European branch sent me here to get the American branch back on track," Elizabeth said.

"Easier said than done. Thanks to the Guardians actions and our defeat at the hands of Diagon. We were forced to go into hiding," the first knight said.

"Well now, it's a good thing I'm here. If we want to succeed, we must launch an offensive at our enemies," she said.

"Are you mad? We're outnumbered by five to at least a hundred Plumbers," Roderick said.

"Fiona." Fiona throws a card at Roderick, killing him in an instant. "Any further objections?" Elizabeth asked.

"How do you suggest we accomplish this? There's you, me, James and the merc if she wants in," the third knight said.

"Simple, we exact our revenge on Ben Tennyson and his allies," she said.

"From the tone of your voice, I say this is personal," James said.

"You're right, not only do I want seek revenge on Ben Tennyson, but also the man who murdered my father and my brothers," she said.

Back at the store, Carter ties up the robbers after defeating them. "Now you lot stay put until the cops arrive," he said.

He left the store and headed back to the rooftops. He spent the next few hours, starring at the ground. He sees a hotdog vendor, selling hotdogs to an off duty police officer. The off duty police officer steals five bucks from the vendor. "Hey, I got mouths to feed," the vendor said.

"So, I'm a cop and there's nothing you can do about it." Carter fires a grappling hook and reels him in. The officer is scared as Carter reels him in and dangles him. "Please, let me go. The vendor tried to rob me," he lied.

"You know what I hate, a dirty cop who steals from an innocent man who's making an honest living. You're Mike Costello, a part time cop and part time enforcer for the Lucano family. The lip is twitching, is there something I should know?" he asked.

Sometime later in a warehouse, a gang of dirty cops are protecting the Lucano's, while Fredo inspects the cache of weapons. "So Fredo, is the cache good?" the arms dealer asked.

"It is." Fredo orders the cops to pick up the cache. "Like always, Will, you do good work." Fredo throws a briefcase at the dealer. "Here's the usual payment and let's do business again in a month's time," Fredo said.

He turns around and notices his bodyguards' unconscious on the floor. He turns around again and the dealer is now unconscious. He panics and tries to make a run for it. Carter intercepts him and he becomes scared. "Hi, I'm your new vigilante," Carter said.

He picks up him, punches him in the face and he falls to the ground. Sometime later, I arrived back home, I sat down on the chair and watched some TV. My mom enters the lounge. "I thought that was you. How was the memorial service?" she asked.

"It went okay. I'm surprised a lot of Plumbers turned up. They really take the event seriously." I watched the news about Carter's vigilante activities. "At least Carter kept himself busy," I said.

I get my cell phone out and rang him. At the park, Carter stands at a hotdog stand, eating a hotdog when he answers his cell phone. "I was wondering when you were going to call. Was there anyone I recognised at the service?" Carter asked.

"Helen Wheels was there. You should've seen the look on her face, it filled with tears. Crying over the loss of her brother," I answered.

"Yeah, I should've been there, but I got a responsibility to protect this town while you were gone," he said.

"I know Pierce's death is a sore subject for you. If you need time," I said.

"I'll be all right." Carter then notices a group of kids running up to him. "I got to go, fan rush," he said.

He puts his cell phone away as fans walk up to him. "You're Carter Tavistock. The man who helped Ben 10 repel the invaders," one of the kids said.

"That's me," he said.

"So, what was it like fighting an invasion force?" another kid asked.

"It was like riding a bicycle for the first time. Although it wasn't my first time," he answered. Carter then tells the kids about his adventures. At the Plumber base, Magister Patelliday sits at his desk when Max arrives.

"I see your back. How was the service?" he asked.

"Painful. How're things here?" Max asked.

"It's been quiet actually. Although there were some skirmishes in Chinatown involving an Incursion hit squad. But it's been taken care of, having a Plumber Elite stationed here is worth every penny," he answered.

"Funny, there aren't any Plumber Elite members." Max then remembers something. "Oh no, please tell me you didn't send Carter Tavistock?" Max asked.

"I did, I know Elites have a reputation for not showing restraint, but Carter is different," he answered.

"I specific told you and everyone not to give Carter any assignments. He's a murderer," Max said.

"I've read the reports and the press view him in a different light. Even though I found the massacre inexcusable, but we can't ignore his talents. You may see things differently, but when was the last time you judged a person based on their merits and not what they did in the past?" he asked.

Patelliday then leaves the office. "Too long." Max then has a flashback from when he, Gwen, Kevin and a Plumber squad was sent over to the Seattle to investigate the massacre. It was raining and the Plumbers checked the area. "What happened here?" Max asked.

"According to the police, someone opened fire on the Forever Knights, everyone here was massacred. And the explosion occurred after the massacre. The explosion was made to look like a warehouse fire, but the arrows say otherwise," the Plumber investigator said.

"Arrows?" Max asked.

The investigator shows Max one of the arrows. "We've been finding these all over the bodies. Some were in the hearts, while others were in the head. It suggests our perp is a top marksman and a good one too," she said.

"There was one Plumber who was known to employ a bow and trick arrows to deal with bad guys and he and his wife are dead," he answered.

A Plumber rushes up to him. "Sir, we found a black box and you really want to see this," the Plumber said.

They head over to the other side of the burned out warehouse. They walked up to a laptop where the black box is connected. They watch the security camera footage and Max is shocked to recognise the face on the footage. "Carter," Max said.

"We ran the face through facial software. We got a hit, but this came up. It's a Special Projects file," another Plumber said.

"Okay, what's a Special Projects?" Kevin asked.

"When the Plumbers first left Earth years ago. An ex-Plumber named Eli Jamieson Moss founded an agency to tackle alien threats that have decided make Earth their permanent residence. It means our perp is a Special Projects operative and knowing Eli, he won't let what happened here go unpunished," Max said.

Back in the present, Carter arrives home and attempts to sneak in. Molly senses him. "Don't even think about it, babe. I've seen this routine a dozen times and it won't work on me," she said.

"At least I tried." They cuddle and kissed each other. "When did you get back from Calcutta?" Carter asked.

"About a few hours ago. I've seen the news footage of Fredo Lucano and those dirty cops getting arrested. When did you become a vigilante?" she asked.

"I was doing a favour for Ben actually. He and his family were attending were attending a memorial service the Plumbers hold every year to honour their fallen," he answered.

"You did well, Carter. Since I got back from Calcutta, I'm afraid it'll be takeout for dinner again," she said.

Carter's cell phone rang and he answers it. "Sorry to call like this, but I need another favour," I said.

"What do you need, Tennyson?" Carter asked.

"I've been invited by the rest of my family for dinner tonight and I need someone to watch over Bellwood," I answered.

"Okay, one of these days. I better return the favours." Carter puts his cell phone away. "It looks like takeout is cancelled," he said.

"Go, I got things covered here," she said.

Carter leaves the apartment and heads out onto the streets. Back at my house, I was having dinner with the rest of my family when Max entered the house. "Sorry I'm late, there was some stuff I had to care of back at the office." He sits down at the dining table. "Booking an Incursion hit squad took a few hours to process," Max said.

"I saw something about that on the news. I thought it was impossible for one man to take out an Incursion hit squad," Kevin said.

"Yeah and I never thought it would be Carter Tavistock who carried out the assignment," Max said.

"Good for him. He's making good use of the Plumber training," Gwen said.

"So far, I'm trying to keep the assignments away from the Carter," he said.

"Who is Carter Tavistock?" Frank asked.

"Carter's parents were Shane and Valerie Tavistock. Before they became Plumbers, they were a couple of professional thieves. Stealing from criminal cartels and giving the proceeds back to the poor. One day, they were about steal a portrait from a Osmosian crime boss. Just as they were about to pull of the getaway. They witness a Plumber getting interrogated. Then, they jumped into the action, saved the Plumber and stole the portrait. It took us three months to figure out who they were. We tracked them down and offered them the chance to join the Plumber Corp. They accepted and those two had one series of adventures. Then, the unthinkable happened. While on assignment, they sacrificed their lives in order to save a colony," Max answered.

"So Carter has told us. But why do you hold out on him?" Kevin asked.

"It's complicated," he answered.

"Can we talk outside?" I and Grandpa Max head outside onto the porch. "Its about the massacre he committed?" I asked.

"It is, I just don't want my staff to get hurt by him," he answered.

"Come on. He's not the bad guy, he's misunderstood. No offense, Grandpa, but sometimes your sense of moral can cloud your judgment," I said. I head inside as Max experiences another flashback. It was when he picking out my new partner.

"Computer, what do you know about Kat Karn?" Max asked.

"Kat Karn is a member of the Rum-Ma feline tribe from the desert world of Kashmir. She's one of two cadets to graduate with top honours from the Plumber Academy," it answered.

"Who's the other candidate?" he asked.

"Rook Blonko, Rook came out on top. He scored high on the strategic tests. However, digression is advised," it answered.

"Why?" he asked.

"His species are known to show little emotion, i.e. they cannot understand sarcasm, let alone humour. But he did score low when it came to the science tests. Kat did pass those tests," it answered.

"Display Carter Tavistock's file," he ordered.

"Carter is a joint Plumber/Special Projects operative. His file contains a lot of citations, from both foreign dignitaries and top brass. It was his work involving the assassination of the Galvan terrorist S'Hai B'al earned him the nickname 'The World's Most Dangerous Operative'. However, he's the prime suspect in the Seattle Massacre, in which forty eighty Forever Knights were murdered. Also, he's a Guardian who fought alongside your grandson during the invasion attempt," it answered.

"Did Eli ever bring charges against him?" he asked.

"Negative, the case was dropped after evidence was found implicating the judge's connections to the Forever Knights. There's been an update; Kat Karn has decided to join the Science Division. Which leaves only two candidates left, the decision and consequences are yours," it said.

Back no, Max notices something moving in the front yard. He goes over there to investigate and finds Rook badly injured. "Rook, oh man, what happened," he asked.

"Forever Knights," Rook answered.

Rook faints as I arrived. "Help me get him into the house." We picked Rook up, carried into the house and placed him on the couch. Max removes a playing card from Rook's chest. "This is unusual weapon, using a playing card as a weapon," Max said.

Kevin takes the card off Max. "That's not good, the Forever Knights must've hired Fiona Le Violet," Kevin said.

"Fiona Le Violet?" Gwen asked.

"She's an assassin and a good one. She went after me after I fell foul with an international crime syndicate. I barely escaped with my life. When I last read her profile, she's wanted for question for her involvement in the assassination of an Anodite diplomat. Plus, there's at least seven arrest warrants issued for her," Kevin answered.

"I think Rook is coming around." Rook then wakes up. "What happened out there and take it easy?" I asked.

"I was sent to Chinatown to investigate a disturbance. There was a ambush involving a Elite, Forever Knights and a assassin. I went to back the Elite up. We put up a good fight, but we failed. Then, a woman walked up to us and the Forever Knights dragged Carter away. I escaped and came here," he answered.

"Forever Knights are usually led by a Forever King, not a woman," Gwen said.

"Hmm, it looks like the European branch must've sent one of their own to get the American branch of the Forever Knights back on track. What bothers me is why kidnap Carter?" Max wondered.

"Before I escaped, she mentioned something about settling the score," Rook answered.

"I need to head back to the office and dig out the Seattle Massacre file," Max said.

Max then leaves the house. My cell phone buzzed and I got a text message from Molly. "I need to go, a friend of mine wishes to speak with me," I said.

Sometime later, I arrived at Carter's apartment to find Molly crying. She cries and I do my best to comfort here. Meanwhile, Carter wakes up to find him in a room with the same kids he encountered in the park. "What happened?" he asked.

"Some men dragged you here. Not long after we arrived," one of the kids answered.

"And put these collars on us. But why didn't they put a collar on you," another kid asked.

Carters recognises the collars, he searches the room and finds a bunch of knives. He becomes outrage to learn what's happened here. He looks at the security camera. "You lot are sick," he shouted.

"You should talk," Elizabeth said over the intercom.

"Who are you?" Carter asked.

"My name is Elizabeth Teller, you can call me Forever Queen Elizabeth," she answered.

"Wait, your father was the leader of the Seattle branch. Figures," he said.

"He was, he was a proud man. Until you murdered him, my brothers and everyone I knew at that branch. I take it you're acquainted with the collars," she said.

"Yeah I am. Kill every living thing with those collars on and it opens the door to my freedom. It's often considered the most barbaric method of escape. Knowing you, my suffering won't end after my freedom," he said.

"Correct, I won't rest until I get my revenge. There's one more twist, in six hours time, the footage of you murdering every child in this room will be broadcast around the world, live. So I can show the world you're nothing but a animal," she said.

Carter then sits down. "I got to give Elizabeth some credit, she's inventive," he said.

The kids were scared by what Elizabeth. "Are you going to kill us?" the third kid asked.

"If she thinks she can coax into doing it, think again. I'm not going to do it. For now, I need to rest," Carter answered.

Back at Plumber H.Q, a technician goes through the security camera of the fight in Chinatown. Rook points his finger at the woman. "There, that's her," Rook said.

"According the databases, her name is Elizabeth Teller. She was appointed Forever Queen nine months ago. She arrived in the country less than two days ago, along with Fiona Le Violet," Max said.

Gwen and Kevin were appalled by the footage. "This is despicable. How could they do it?" Gwen asked.

"Well, when you massacre a whole cell. You better expect payback," Kevin said.

"Even though I still have my reservations about Carter, but this is uncalled for. The question is, why him?" Max wondered.

I and Molly entered the room. "We don't have much time left. We just got this tape." Molly inserts the tape into the player and they watched the footage. "They're planning to coax Carter into killing the kids and broadcast the footage around the world," I said.

"That is sick," Gwen said.

"I know, I know Carter, he won't do it," Molly said.

Kevin is wowed by Molly's beauty. "And you are?" he asked.

"Molly, Molly Granger. Special Projects agent and Guardian and quit looking at me like that, Kevin," Molly said.

Gwen looks at Kevin awkwardly. "When we get home, we'll have a talk," she said.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he said.

"She expects him to do it, but he won't," I said.

"Anything can change in the next six hours," Max said.

"Knowing him, he may have some escape plan in development. When you're dealing with the World's Most Dangerous Operative, its best you not underestimate him," Molly said.

Six hours have passed, Carter is fully rested and he gets up. The kids panicked as the six hours are up. "This is it, this is the end," a kid said.

"Not yet it ain't." Carter checks his boot; he removes a part of the sole to reveal a hidden compartment. "Besides, I don't give up that easily. Also, these boots aren't made for walking," Carter said. He gets a piece of chalk out, draws a rectangle and colours it in.

"Now's not the time to be colouring in," another kid said.

"This is no ordinary chalk. It's something the Science Division developed. With an electrical charge, it'll start off a chemical chain reaction that'll turn this rectangle into a hole in the wall." Carter checks his other boot and finds the electrical charge. He places the charge on the rectangle, activates the charge and a piece of the wall starts to melt. "There, one hole in the wall. It should big enough for us to escape," he said.

"That H.Q. of yours is one big toy box," another child said.

"You could say that. The collars have a short range radio frequency. The control room shouldn't be that far, come on." They head over to the control room. The technicians see Carter, they went in to attack him, but he defeats them. Carter rushes over to the console. "Okay, we're in. A few keystrokes and the collars should come on," he said.

The collars then come on as the kids took a deep breath. "Man, that feels better," one of the kids said.

"Stage one of the escape plan is cleared. Now, onto stage two, find transportation and get the heck out of here," Carter said.

They head into the warehouse, they hid behind a crate and Carter over hears a conversation between Elizabeth and a technician. "We received at least seventy five crates so far. Remind me again what's inside them?" the technician asked.

"That's on a need to know basis. Let's just say that they're the future of the Forever Knights," Elizabeth answered.

"Fair enough, the other twenty five should arrive by tonight hopefully. But there's a storm out in the Atlantic that can complicate things," he said.

"Keep me posted," she said.

Elizabeth then leaves the area. The kids make a run for a sports car as Carter picks a shipping manifest. He gets into the driver's side. "Buckle yourselves in. This could get messy." He hotwires the car, drives through the doors and exits the warehouse. Elizabeth is outrage to see this and she sends two Forever Knight cars after him. Outside, Carter notices that they're being pursued. "Great, just for once, I wish things could've gone better. Hang onto something, this could get bumpy." They leave the industrial district and drove into the city centre. A couple of police cars notice the high speed chase and began pursuing. "Now this is just perfect. I hope the Plumbers catch onto this," he said to himself.

At Plumber H.Q, Max starts coordinating a search for Carter when a Plumber bursts in. "Sorry to intrude, but you really want to see this." He and Max left the office and head into the control room. "We picked this image up a minute and it's live. It's Carter and he's escaped capture," he said.

"He is resourceful, sent some Plumber to help him. No one doesn't get left behind," Max said.

Back on the streets, Carter is still being pursued by the Forever Knights. He looks out in the rear mirror and notices a Forever Knight loading a blaster and opening fire on them. "Great, I hate lasers, hang on. This next turning will be sharp." He makes a sharp turn around the street. One of the cars skittles out of control and the car crashes into a market stall. "One down, one to go." He then hears the sound of the jet above them. Carter recognises the jet. "All right, air support." The jet opens fire on the car, blowing it up. "Next stop, Plumber H.Q," Carter said.

At Plumber H.Q, Carter enters the parking lot, he and the kids got out. Max and I arrived. "Well now, I was wrong about you," Max said.

"It isn't the first time, you know," he said.

Medics arrived at the scene and they examined him. "You took one heck of a beating. I'm detecting multiple fractures and concussions. We need to get you to infirmary, now," one of the medics said.

Carter gives Max the shipping manifest. "Here, it's not much, but it should give a clear indication about what the Forever Knights are planning to do next," Carter said.

The medics escort Carter to the infirmary, I then took the kids home. Max then has a flashback when he met up with a friend of his, Dr. William Wells in a diner. "Thanks for seeing me on short notice, Dr. Wells," Max said.

"Anything to get out of the office, basically. I got the files, I had a look and they're both excellent candidates," William said.

"So, what's your recommendation?" he asked.

"I would recommend Carter Tavistock. I know you have reservations about him because of the massacre, that's understandable. Carter has seen it all, he fought in the Battle for New York, he saved Ben from becoming a full time Shinigami Watch member and has helped Gwen solve a murder case. Rook on the other hand could be a real problem. When I read Rook's profile, it raised a lot of questions," William answered.

"Such as?" Max asked.

"His species are known to show little emotion, i.e. they don't understand humour, let alone sarcasm. Also, when it came to the psychiatric evaluation, he scored below the average candidate. If you're thinking about partnering Ben with Rook, I suggest you keep him under close surveillance from a psychological point of view. It could give me a clear idea what his species are like from a psychiatric point of view," William answered.

Sometime later in the present day, Max has summoned us to the boardroom. We sat around a conference table. "I got some bad news, Carter will be in the infirmary for a while, but he's going to make it," Max said.

"That was a close one, he's one resourceful Plumber," I said.

"And it looks like I owe Eli an apology. But there's more, Carter managed to grab the shipping manifest before he left the warehouse. We're currently having the contents of the manifest analysed, it could provide us a clear idea about what the European branch of Forever Knights have planned," Max said.

I read the manifest. "According to this, the European branch has been shipping a lot of crates. The contents of the crates are classified," I said.

"That's got me worried. Your partner is still hospitalised, but Eli has authorised me to partner you with Molly Granger," he said.

Molly enters the room. "Where should we start?" I asked.

"You better start at that warehouse Carter and the kids escaped," Max answered.

We left the the base, Max then has a flashback back to when he met Eli again at Special Projects base. I was on my way to meet Legion for the first time. "You're still thinking about partnering Ben with Rook?" Eli asked.

"I rather partner my grandson with someone who isn't a murderer," he answered.

"Feel what you may." We arrived at the prison facility. "We're here," Eli said.

A guard halts Max. "Be advised, avoid physical contact with the suspect at all times," he said.

"We're taking precautions since his capture. The Light Mother may have removed Dark Sai, but there's no guarantee that it removed his powers." They entered the room. "Good morning, Eddie," Eli said.

He notices that they're here. "This is a surprise, I haven't had a visitor since my surrender," Eddie said.

"There's always a first," Eli said.

"I like some answers regarding the time when you brainwashed Carter into becoming your soldier," Max said.

"That was my granddad's doing, not mine. I was much a prisoner as he was. Knowing you, you have a lot of decisions to make. The question you got to ask yourself is: who can Ben trust? It's the best bit of advice I can give," Eddie said.

At the warehouse, Molly and I entered the building to find it empty. "Well, this is unexpected," I said.

"They must've fled after Carter escaped. They took everything with them. The shipments, the vehicles and the tech," Molly said.

"The question is, where are they?" I wondered.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

November Rain

Months before the invasion, before Diagon and before everything changed, Carter finds himself walking in the desert after getting beaten up by his friends. He's exhausted and injured, he struggles to walk in the midday sun. Over at a Special Projects testing ground, Molly is less thrilled at the idea of being on security detail for a group of scientists. She's on the phone to Eli to express her disbelief.

"Remind me again why I'm on security detail for a group of geeks?" Molly asked.

"We're currently short on agents and you're the ideal candidate to protect these scientists, no matter what," Eli answered over the phone.

"What are they going to do, punch a hole in the universe?" she asked.

"Something like that. They're testing out a prototype wormhole generator. One that can open a hole to another parallel Earth," Eli answered over the phone

"Whoopee, I'll see you sometime soon, boss," she said.

Molly then puts her cell phone away. "We're ready to go," the head scientist said.

The scientists turn the console, activate the generator and it opens a wormhole. Molly is impressed, the generator malfunctions and the console blew up. "And to think, I was looking forward to the results," she said.

"This could take a while, Miss Granger. Why don't you take a seat?" the head scientist said

Molly leaves the area and sits down on a crate. She sees something; she grabs a pair of binoculars, looks through them and sees Carter walking in the desert. "Is that?" She puts the binoculars down, gets into a jeep and drives over to where Carter. Carter collapses as Molly arrives. "Oh no, just stay with me. You hear me, stay with me. What's your name?" she asked.

"Carter, Carter Tavistock," he said.

In the present, Carter wakes up to find himself in the infirmary with Gwen at his side. "This is unexpected, where's?" Carter asked.

"Ben is safe and so are the kids," Gwen answered.

"Thanks." Carter notices Rook sleeping away. "Who's the Plumber?" he asked.

"That's Rook Blonko, Ben's new partner," she answered.

"How could I forget. I owe him a favour or two after he saved my life back in Chinatown. So where's Ben now?" he asked.

"Following up on the Forever Knights, I hope," she answered.

Back at the warehouse, Molly checks the computer screens, but the consoles wouldn't power on. "I checked the computers. All the hard drives are gone," I said.

"I don't get it. The Forever Knights just don't up and vanish into thin air. They must've relocated, which is typical of a terrorist organisation," Molly said.

"Since when did the Forever Knights became a terrorist organisation?" I asked.

"Since the purge, it caused outrage among the intergalactic community. Eli placed the organisation on the Special Projects watch list. We've spent the last six months tracking their activities," she answered.

"You guys are always thorough. We aren't making much progress here," I said.

"I agree, I might know someone who can help. I better pray he's in a cooperative mood," she said.

We left the warehouse and we head over to a classy bar on the other side of town. We met up with Molly's contact. "Just for once, I like to get some me time. Hi, I'm Winston Pearce," he said.

"I'm Ben Tennyson and you already know Molly," I said.

"I was wondering when I'm going to meet you, Tennyson. Let's take a seat." We sat around a table. "I take it you guys are having Forever Knight trouble?" he asked.

"You can say that, they nearly murdered two people," I said.

"I know the organisation is in disarray, but what I don't get is, why is the European branch involved," he said.

"Come again?" Molly asked.

"When the Declaration of Independence was signed back in 1776. The European branch severed all ties with their American counterparts as punishment for them siding with Washington during the American Revolution. You lot already the order exists over a thousand years, but what you don't know is that they played some part in some of history's nastiest moments. The Spanish Inquisition, the Pazzi Conspiracy, the JFK assassination, the Russian Revolution and the Spanish Civil War," he said.

"Whoa, they were involved in John Kennedy's assassination?" I asked.

"The Kennedy administration led an investigation into their activities. So, the Forever Knights sent one of their own to assassinate Kennedy and made Lee Harvey Oswald a scapegoat," he answered.

"You seem to be tracking their activities?" Molly asked.

"I am, since the purge occurred. My bosses stepped up the investigations into the Forever Knights. We initially thought that would be end of them when Ben defeated Diagon. But, we found out the organisation is in disarray and without a leader. Then, Elizabeth Teller came along, leader of the London branch and second-in-command of the European branch." Winston places a file on the table and we read it. "Years before your first encounter with the Omnitrix, the European branch tried to re-establish communication the American branch. So, they sent Elizabeth's father to re-establish old ties. It wasn't success due to old wounds, but he stayed on to lead the Seattle branch, until their unfortunate demise," he answered.

"Where did you get this file from?" I asked.

"I called in some favours I owe with MI6," he answered.

"This is great, thank you," Molly said.

"Not a problem, here." Winston places a business card and I picked it. "This address and phone number should lead you two to one of the accountants the Forever Knights use," he said.

"And thanks again, Winston," Molly said. We head over to the office where the accountant is, he leaves the building and heads into a alleyway. We confronted him and he recognises me.

"I knew this day would come. I'll be happy to testify against the Forever Knights," he said.

"You must be Sherman Blaine," I said.

"I am. You have no idea how long I waited for someone like you to talk things through. I wasn't happy when they recruited me to be one of their accountants," he said.

"Then you must know the inner workings of the Forever Knights?" Molly asked.

"For the last ten years. I've ran the books for their entire operation. From administering the pay checks to handling payments and seeing contracts through," he answered.

"Do you know what Elizabeth Teller has got planned?" I asked.

"We only spoke through the phone once. I was scheduled to meet her in person this Wednesday. Recently, she asked me to pay a logistics company two point five billion dollars," he answered.

"That must be the shipping fee from the shipments," I said.

"All two hundred and seventy five crates," Sherman said.

"Before we leave, did you ask about what's inside those crates?" Molly asked.

"I just ran the books, okay," he answered.

We left the area and got back into the car. "There goes the accountant. We're back at square one. Elizabeth could be anywhere in the country right now," I said.

"We better talk to Carter," she said.

We head back to Plumber H.Q. In the infirmary, Carter gets dressed as we entered. "If you came to get me out, you two are too late. I take it you lot are stumped about Elizabeth," Carter asked.

"We are, we tried every lead, but to no avail," I answered.

"Was there anything about the shipments or Elizabeth that can provide us with a lead?" she asked.

"There is something. Just before we escaped, I overheard the guards talking. They said that James and Howard weren't satisfied with the way Elizabeth is running things. It looks like she doesn't care about eliminating Ben, all she cares about is settling the score with me," he answered.

"Hey, we're here for you," she said.

"At least we got something. I think it's time to find James and Howard," I said.

"Good luck with that, they left the warehouse sometime before we escaped. But I know where to find them. James can be found at the Roundhouse Theatre, where he's the manager. As for Howard, he works as a operations manager for Mason Enterprises. They have a branch in the business district," Carter answered.

"You overheard a couple of the guards talking about it?" I asked.

"Yep," he answered.

"You better head home. You're in no shape or condition to help us out. Come on, let's start at the Roundhouse Theatre," she said.

Sometime later, we head over to the Roundhouse Theatre; we see James and Howard talking to each other. "I've spoken to the other knights and they aren't too happy with the war Elizabeth runs things," Howard said.

"She won't even tell us what's inside those crates," James said.

"It's got some of the guy spooked," he said.

"Keep talking," I said.

"How long have you been listening?" James asked.

"Long enough to hear that you two aren't satisfied. Maybe we can reach a compromise. Elizabeth is planning something, she won't let you in on it and that's got you worried. We need to stop Elizabeth before things get worse," Molly said.

"Hmm, why should we help you?" Howard asked.

"Because if you, thousands will get hurt. Think about it, the European branch has taken a lot of interest in you lot. It does make me wonder if they're planning something big," she said.

"Hmm, there is something. I overheard one of the truck drivers talking and they said the shipment is in one of the warehouse out of town," James said.

"Which one?" I asked.

"Warehouse 568," James answered.

Later that evening, we arrived outside the warehouse; we parked the car, got out and head inside. Once inside, I turned on the lights and what we saw was rows of robots. "What the heck are they?" I wondered.

Molly then sees some, she grabs him for a second and let's him go. "Magnificent, are they? This is what the European branch intends to do with our American counterparts," he said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Dr. Feldman, supervisor to the Cyber Ops Project," Feldman answered.

"Cyber Ops Project?" Molly asked.

"For the years, the European branch has tried to reason with the American branch of the Forever Knights. However, things fell through and they commissioned this project. It's the first of its kind. Combining cutting edge technology with advanced cybernetics wasn't an easy task. Unlike your typical robot, which only thinks with a simple processor, these things use an actual human brain. Well, a cloned brain to be precise," he answered.

He removed the helmet to reveal a human face. "You mean to tell us these things were human?" I asked.

"They're clones actually. Over the years, the European branch kept a DNA bank, containing genetic samples of their best known operatives in the past. Once the clones were complete, I and a team of scientists began retrofitting and modifying them to advance cybernetic soldiers," he answered.

"How can you lot do that to your own members?" Molly asked.

"They knew the risks when they first joined the Forever Knights. The alloy is light, allowing them to move at superhuman speeds. Also, they can block out any telepathic attack," he answered.

"Now it makes sense. The European wants to replace its American membership with these things to prevent another Diagon attack," I said.

"More or less, also they can follow orders without question. We severed any emotions they can feel. They feel no pain, no sympathy and not the slightest empathy," he said.

"You're insane," I said.

"According to the console, more of them are on the way tonight," she said.

"Thank you for your time," I said.

We left the warehouse and headed back to Plumber H.Q. We debriefed Max on what we found. "It sounds like they're serious about replacing the entire American branch of the Forever Knights with these cybernetic soldiers," Max said.

Dr. William Wells then enters the office. "That's not all, if Molly and Ben's description of the soldiers are correct. They're severed from any emotional detachment, making them invulnerable to pain, love and joy. Also, they have no free will, making them totally obedient," William said.

"What worries me is what Elizabeth has planned for the rest of the world," Molly said.

"For now, we wait," he said.

Sometime later, we entered Molly and Carter's apartment to find it ransack. "Oh no, Carter," she said.

We searched the place all over; I found a tablet PC on the coffee table. I turned it on and played the video. "Did you lot think it would be that easy, would you? We took the opportunity to abduct Mr. Tavistock while he was buying groceries. I will not rest until he's suffered. In a few hours, the cybernetic soldiers will arrive and we'll purge this world of all alien filth," Elizabeth said.

The video finishes playing. "He's right about her being insane." She falls to her knees and begins to cry. "I'm going to lose him," she cried.

"Hey, we can't give up. We will get Carter; it looks like the footage was taped at the waterfront. Let's go," I said.

Over at the waterfront, Carter is suspending above a tank full of sharks as he watches the Forever Knights unload the container ships. "It's ingenious, but effective. I guess beating up an injured guy like me wasn't enough?" Carter asked.

"You could say that. I want you to suffer a little longer." One of the dock workers loads a crate onto the ground. Two Forever Knights opened the crate and Elizabeth shows Carter a cybernetic soldier. "This will be the future of the order," Elizabeth said.

"What the heck is that?" he asked.

"A Forever Knight Cybernetic Soldier, it is the latest in our arsenal to deal with your alien friends. Once they're activated, they'll wipe the alien filth and eliminate any organic Forever Knight," she answered.

"They were right, you are insane. Ben will stop you," he said.

"I doubt that," she said.

We then burst in on the scene. "Think again. This ends now!" I yelled.

"It's only just beginning. Activate them all." The scientist hits the switch on his tablet PC, it activates them. He triggers the program and they head into the city. Elizabeth rushes over to the tank, pulls the lever and lowers Carter into the tank. "I don't want to make things too easy," she said.

"A little help," he coughed.

I used the Omnitrix to change into XLR8. "XLR8! Finally, something goes right for once," I said.

I raced around the bad guys and defeated them. Molly tries to reach the wrench control pad, but Fiona intervenes. "I don't get it, Fiona. This isn't like you to take sides with genocidal maniac," Molly said.

"At least they pay me," Fiona said.

They fought; Carter uses his escapology skills to escape his binding and leaps onto the dock. He is still in pain from the previous fight. "Great, I wish things could've been simpler. I wish I had my bow and arrows," he coughed.

Max and Rook arrived at the scene. Max throws my bow and arrows to me; I catch them and joined in the fight. Elizabeth is outraged to see Carter escaped.

"No, no, NO! I will NOT be denied my revenge," she shouted.

She tries to attack him, but I intercepted her. "Picking on a hero is one thing, but attacking one is wounded is another." I kept on attacking her. "You're a Forever Knight; you're suppose to have honour, but instead. You choose to abuse your power on revenge and genocide. Haven't you learned anything from Old George and any of my encounters with other knights?" I asked.

"You have no idea what that monster did. He took my family away, all of them," she answered.

I punched her face, knocking her to the ground. I looked down on her, I grabbed her and I thought about finishing it. "Ben, don't!" Max yelled.

Molly drops Fiona to the ground and rushes over to where I am. Molly picks the scientist up. "Deactivate them." The scientists the shut down button on the tablet PC and it shuts down the soldiers. "Ben, don't do this," Molly said.

"Why should I? She nearly murdered two of my best friend and she nearly succeeded in murdering Carter. She doesn't deserve to live," I said.

"Is this how it ends? With one more death, too much blood has been spilled and it's on me. I was there when they opened fire on Pierce. He died in my arms and there was nothing I can do. Then I made the worst decision in my life, I massacred a whole branch of the Forever Knights. All it took to stop me was a child weeping and we then evacuated the place before it got blown up. It didn't take both the Plumbers and Special Projects to figure who committed the crime. But the worse was from over, I became an abuser, I abused Molly, beat her up and I was about to make another worst mistake if Henry Walsh didn't show up. You have no idea what it's like to kill. The food I eat tastes like nothing, everything I touch has no feel and all I see is the victims in my minds, screaming in pain and agony. Do you really want to go down this road?" Carter asked.

I dropped her to the ground. "You're right. Let's go home," I said.

We were about to leave the docks just as Elizabeth grabs a blaster. She aims it at Max. "I may be denied of my revenge, but I will take a Plumber with me," Elizabeth said to herself.

Carter pushes Max out of the way. "Look out!" he yelled. He takes the bullet for Max and he falls to the ground.

"Well now, I do finally get my revenge," she said.

"CARTER!" Molly shouted.

She falls to her knees, cradling his body like it was a baby. Sometime later, we were at a hospital where Carter is recuperating. A doctor leaves the room where he's staying. "Carter has lost a lot of blood. Plus his previous injuries have decreased his chances of survival. It's in the ten to twenty per cent margin. I'm sorry," she said.

The doctor leaves the ward. "It looks like I owe just about everyone a apology," Max said.

"About what?" I asked.

"About Carter, you were right. Sometimes my judgment can cloud my perceptions about people. He took a bullet or a laser blast for me and that's after all the hassle I gave him. I'm so sorry," Max answered.

"I understand, I need some time to myself, to be with my beloved," Molly said.

I left the ward, Max then has a flashback about the time when he's speaking to Plumber Supreme Commander about both Rook and Carter. "I apologise for the static. Getting our intergalactic communications network back up and running hasn't been a easy task. So what's on your mind?" he asked.

"I've read the dossiers for both Rook Blonko and Carter Tavistock and I need advice about how I go about picking the right partner for Ben," Max answered.

"According to our intel, Carter would be ideal candidate, but not everyone would be too comfortable about having a Elite in their station, given the group has a reputation for going outside the chain of command. Rook on the other hand could become a problem. Our psychiatrists have diagnosed him with some form of learning difficulty, possibly relating to autism. But he is one of top graduates from the Academy. Whatever going to do, trek carefully and don't let your judgment could your perceptions. It has gotten you into trouble in the past, Supreme Commander out," he said.

He hung and Max places the files on his desk. He thinks hard about it and has made his decision. "Computer, can you put in a request to have Rook Blonko transferred here?" he ordered.

"I'll notify Plumber Command immediately," it said.

Back in the present, a few days passed since the events occurred. Molly checks in at the reception desk. She heads to the room Carter is staying, but she finds the room completely. She rushes over to the bed and begins to cry. "Oh no, why did it have to be like this? I never even got to say goodbye," Molly cried.

"Those have better not be tears of mourning." Carter then gets out of the bathroom. "I take it we saved the world?" Carter asked.

Her tears turn to joy as she hugs him. "I'm glad you're alive," she cried.

"It's okay, babe, it's okay. The doctors say I'll be benched for six months while I recover," he said.

"Good," she said.

They left the room and the hospital altogether. Meanwhile, in a prison cell, Eddie GrandSmith, also known as Legion reads a paper as a Special Projects enters the cell and delivers his breakfast. "Ah, breakfast is here," he said.

"Same as usual, Eddie, what did you dream last night?" she asked.

"It's been the same, most of which are visions, Things to come, there's a storm brewing. Somewhere in the vast corner of the multiverse, a threat is emerging and it's something both Ben and I have triggered unintentionally. If I were the Guardians, I better get prepared," he answered.

She leaves the cell. Back in Bellwood, Winston enters a alleyway, removes a panel on a wall and it reveals a switch. He turns the switch to enter a combination to reveal a secret door. It opened and Winston enters the building. The door closes behind him. In the building, there's a conference table and a lone man sits at it.

"Order has been restored to the Forever Knights and they've absolved Carter Tavistock of his crime," Winston said.

"Well, good news is hard to come by these days," the mysterious figure said.

"That's not all; the Smithsonian Institute was broken into last night. Only one item was stolen and it's a small ruby fragment," Winston said.

"So, someone is collecting the Star of Okath fragments. Whoever gets their hands on them can set the Elder Ones free. Continue with your observations, it's apparent we need to find Alonso Juarez immediately," he said.

In a forest, Khyber is training his pet. "It'll be over soon. Once I get my prize, then the rewards will be worth it," Khyber said.

Eon then appears all the sudden, his pet attacks him, but Eon turns it into a fossil and it withers to ash. "You might want hold off on claiming your reward," Eon said.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Eon, Master of Time and Space and your end is near," Eon answered.

The two of them then engaged in a fight to the death.

The End?


End file.
